Finishing up

These two photos aren't stunningly sharp, but there is a heavy cloud cover today and just not enough light leaking into my studio. I am posting them to give you a general idea of the progress on these two works. I will upload better photos later.


I think this purple piece is finished. Strangely enough I sat down in the studio today and really felt as if I was haphazardly flinging paint - et voila! Perhaps the idea of "just getting on with it" really does get you somewhere.

Keeping with the "anything goes" vein, I am pushing this painting into new territory and allowing it to be ugly (which is making it look quite nice). I do tighten up too much. The little artist child inside me wants to throw paint and get messy. So I suppose now is as good a time as any. (Can I use anymore cliches in my entry...)

The grad school portfolio has been chosen (for now) and is uploaded under the "twenty best images" link. Cross your fingers for me...

Updated photo

Here's a picture of the progress made on the current piece.

Another new painting 12 x 48"

Here are the beginnings of the piece on the panels I recently cradled. Yes, this is a four foot tall painting that is only one foot wide. I am back to my oblong formats of yore. There is something I really like about visually composing on these stretched out fields. The paintings for me are becoming more about space. Can I create visual movement by depicting objects that seemingly move through the space of the picture plane? The gingko leaves in the smaller purple painting play across the picture and move the eye by undulating through the space. The leaves above are drifting through the composition and collecting in heaps along the base. In the piece above there is perhaps more direct evidence of the influence that the seasons and the surrounding natural world have upon my work. We relocated from the desert to Massachusetts this year and as spring progressed into summer I was fascinated with blossoms and leaves around me that I had never seen before. Now as the weather cools and we prepare for winter my work is taking notice of the change in the color of the foliage and of the motion of the falling leaves that float to the ground.

On another note, I have finished with the drawing project and posted the remaining pieces under the Drawing Project portfolio link to the right - 50 pieces in total. The last 8 drawings really broke with the original concept of the project as a drawing from something observable. Instead they more closely reflect what is happening in my larger ink pieces which is more abstract and self referential. It's possible that I will start a second project more in line with this way of drawing and on larger squares of paper. We shall see.

New Warbler painting 10 x 20"

I have been working on this piece for a week or so now. I think the concept and aesthetic of the bird paintings is slowly being refined. I also began painting on the larger panels I recently made, and will post them when they develop more.